“Jaycee Duggard is not just a kidnap victim, she is the victim of the Stockholm Syndrome and could be another Patty Hearst who bonded and expressed loyalty for her captors”, according to Human Behavior Expert, Dr. Patrick Wanis.
Dr. Wanis says “Jaycee Dugard had numerous interactions with the outside world but never chose to leave or reveal her identity and now released, she feels guilty over her bond with her abductor and father of her children, Phillip Garrido! This will be part three of the Stockholm Syndrome; part 2 was Patty Hearst’s story.”
Jaycee Duggard had interacted with customers of Garrido’s printing business – in person, via email and over the phone. Her abductor, Phillip Garrido even did a stint in prison during the 18 years she was kidnapped at his compound. Why did Jaycee Duggard not reveal her true identity? Why did she not try to escape?
Dr. Wanis says “Duggard’s behavior and lack of desire to escape is not unusual in cases of abduction and captivity which can lead to a person identifying with her captor, expressing loyalty and becoming attached to them as was the case also with 11 year old Shawn Hornbeck, held captive for four years but never tried to escape.* This is about the psychology of attraction and bonding to abusive people – seen in battered spouses, abused children, and some prisoners of war: Intense emotional experiences – even negative ones create bonding. There is a strong connection between anxiety, arousal and attraction and this can lead to the sympathizing and/or romantic attraction to an abuser – also known as the Stockholm syndrome.
“In 1973, in Stockholm, Sweden, a bank was held siege and some of the employees were kidnapped. They were in danger and they knew it. Amazingly, at the end of six days of captivity, several of the kidnap victims resisted attempts to rescue them and later refused to testify against their former captors. They had somehow come to identify and sympathize with the source of the threat to their personal safety. The same occurred a year later with nineteen year old heiress Patty Hearst who was kidnapped from the apartment she shared with her fianci in California by the self-styled Symbionese Liberation Army. Patty was blindfolded and kept in a tiny closet for two weeks – she was physically and sexually abused.
“Despite undergoing that pain and trauma, two months later, everyone was shocked to see pictures of Patty wielding a gun and threatening staff and customers at a bank in San Francisco. Patty claimed her guerilla name was now ‘Tania’ (a nom de guerre after the comrade of Che Guevara) and she publicly said that she fully supported the terrorist organization and its aims.
According to Dr. Wanis, “It is the emotional intensity that leads to the ‘brainwashing’ and in Duggard’s case, the bond, dependence and dynamic between here and her abductor is further enmeshed and complicated because he is the father of her two children and has been raising them with her.
Further, Jaycee Duggard’s stepfather Terry Probyn told the Associated Press “Jaycee has strong feelings with this guy,” and went as far as stating “She really feels it’s almost like a marriage.”
While many people remain stunned by this outcome, Dr. Wanis says there is a process and logical explanation for this psychological phenomenon: “The anxiety, racing heart and dependence on the one person can lead to the transference of power and significance. The abused child is completely helpless, wanting to obey and please the abusive parent. Its entire focus is on the abuser and it also depends on him/her for survival and every form of love and attention. The abuser becomes the only source, the sole provider of physical and emotions needs – safety, attention, recognition, etc.
“Two things occur: first, the mind confuses the high physiological arousal (danger or anxiety) for attraction rather than fear (establishing a bond and connection with the instigator or person involved as being the primary focus and highly important) and second; the person experiencing the abuse develops a subconscious belief that he or she deserves this type of treatment. The result is sense of helplessness to break from the bond and chains of the abuser or manipulator. This is often seen in battered spouses, abused children and prisoners of war.”
*Shawn Hornbeck was kidnapped at age 11 in 2002 and held for four years by Michael J. Devlin in Missouri. Shawn Hornbeck started using Devlin’s last name and despite talking to police on two separate occasions about other unrelated matters, Shawn Hornbeck did not seek the assistance of law enforcement. Many questions were raised in the media reports surrounding his rescue in January 2007 about why he did not speak out earlier, leading to reported speculation that he suffered from Stockholm Syndrome.
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Anointed “The Woman Expert” by WGN Chicago, Patrick Wanis PhD is a renowned Celebrity Life Coach, Human Behavior & Relationship Expert who developed SRTT therapy (Subconscious Rapid Transformation Technique) and is teaching it to other practitioners. Wanis’ clientele ranges from celebrities and CEOs to housewives and teenagers. CNN, BBC, FOX News, MSNBC & major news outlets worldwide consult Wanis for his expert insights and analysis on sexuality, human behavior and women’s issues. Wanis is the first person ever to do hypnotherapy on national TV – on the Montel Williams show.